Is Wolfback Ridge Road Publicly Accessible?

Signs at the entrance to Wolfback Ridge Road

On Monday, March 12, 2018, the City of Sausalito began receiving inquiries from Bay Area residents and the local news media as to whether or not Wolfback Ridge Road is a publicly accessible conduit to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The answer is no. Although the road is within Sausalito City limits, it is private and restricted to use by Wolfback Ridge residents and their guests. The inquiries were triggered by an internet post made by an irate hiker who had been told not to park along the road.

The status of Wolfback Ridge Road as private was confirmed by a state court ruling in 1970, Glass v. Gulf Oil. That case contributed to the delay and ultimate demise of the Marincello development, which would have created a community of 30,000 people in the Marin Headlands, in the jurisdiction of Marin County.

In 2015, inaccurate information in a County of Marin mapping database led Sausalito City staff to erroneously refer to Wolfback Ridge Road as public. The misinformation was corrected in the database, and the County Assessor's records were updated to reflect that the road is a private right‐of‐way easement, but not before posts citing the inaccurate information made their way onto the internet.

Since receiving the new inquiries about Wolfback Ridge Road, the City of Sausalito has endeavored to educate the public about the road's private status. However, the City has been made aware that people may gather on Wolfback Ridge Road in protest, based on the inaccurate information from 2015. The Sausalito Police will monitor the area to protect the safety of all involved.

For those seeking access to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area from Sausalito, the National Park Service recommends the Morning Sun Trail adjacent to the Spencer Avenue parking area, or the Rodeo Avenue Trail at the Rodeo Avenue exit from southbound Highway 101.

For more information, please contact Lilly Whalen, City Clerk and Assistant City Manager, at (415) 289-4134 or lwhalen@sausalito.gov.

Dunphy Park Gets Temporary Fence Along Shoreline

The City of Sausalito Parks and Recreation Department has installed temporary wood slat fencing along the shoreline of Dunphy Park to protect visitors from exposed debris.

Before it was acquired by the City in 1970, the area that is now Dunphy Park included a burn dump. People would drop off their garbage to be burned. Any remaining, unburned objects were compacted and put in Richardson Bay as landfill.

The process of transforming the area into a park in the early 1970s included putting a "cap" on the landfill to contain the debris. Over time, the cap along the shoreline has eroded to the point that debris can now be seen along the high tide mark. The debris includes broken glass and sharp pieces of metal.

The temporary fence will serve to keep both small and large hands and feet safely away from the debris, and will hopefully slow the erosion process by eliminating foot traffic over sensitive areas.

The City has been working with the California Conservation Corps and Cal Recycle to secure grant funding for the necessary shoreline repairs. City staff will soon be requesting bids from contractors to do the restoration work, as well as the other renovations planned for Dunphy Park. For more information, please contact Parks and Recreation Director Mike Langford at mlangford@sausalito.gov.

How to Make a Right Turn Across a Bicycle Lane

The City of Sausalito is working with the County of Marin to identify high-risk locations on the roadways of Sausalito, and a study of collision data has revealed that two segments of Bridgeway have some of the highest number of bicycle vs. motor vehicle collision rates per mile in the county. The two segments are Bridgeway between San Carlos Avenue and Napa Street, and Bridgeway between Nevada Street and Gate 5 Road. One of the most common types of accident occurs when a vehicle makes a right turn across the bike lane and either strikes or is struck by a bicycle.

To help reduce the number of these bicycle-vehicle collisions, the City of Sausalito reminds residents that, under the California Vehicle Code, both the approach to and the actual right-turn by a motor vehicle must occur as far to the right as practicable, including instances where that would require crossing into an on-street bicycle lane.

The right and wrong way to handle a potential conflict is illustrated by the image accompanying this article. While approaching an intersection where the driver plans to turn right, the driver must activate the right-turn signal, confirm that it is safe to do so, and then merge into the bike lane prior to reaching the intersection. Note that the solid white line separating the bike lane from the motor vehicle lane transitions to dashed at the approach to the intersection to encourage such movement. A bicyclist approaching that same intersection will note the movement of a motor vehicle with its right-turn signal flashing and maneuver to the left of the right-turning vehicle to prevent a conflict on the vehicle's right at the turn.

For questions about this and other traffic control issues in Sausalito, please contact Director of Public Works Jonathon Goldman at jgoldman@sausalito.gov or Police Lieutenant Bill Fraass at bfraass@sausalito.gov.

City Volunteer Tom Perazzo Receives Community Service Award

Tom Perazzo volunteering with the VIPS

District 1 of the California Park & Recreation Society has awarded Sausalito resident Tom Perazzo with its 2017 Community Service Award for his service to the City of Sausalito. Tom was recognized for his efforts in a special presentation at the beginning of the City Council meeting on March 13.

A Visit with Ann Arnott

Peter and Ann Arnott at their home on Cazneau Avenue

Ann Arnott and her husband Peter moved to Sausalito in the early '60s and have lived on Cazneau Avenue for 54 years. Ann and Peter met when they were both working in Tokyo. They have now been married for 56 years.

In 1970, Ann took over the lease of the storefront on Caledonia Street where the restaurant Arawan Thai is today. "The shop was at the corner and was a third of the size of Arawan," she says.

Ann decided to call her new restaurant "Soupçon," and serve lunches of soup, salad, and homemade desserts. The lunch menu had five entrees, and whatever didn't sell was turned into soup for the next day. The restaurant had fourteen seats. Notable customers included Sally Stanford and Herb Caen.

Ann left the restaurant business in 1974 and started a catering business. She would sew a server dress with matching aprons from scratch to reflect the type of event she was working.

Ann serves on the Sausalito Marin City Sanitary District Board of Directors and the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation Board of Trustees. "I enjoy working on the Sanitary Board," she says. "We have five people who are civil to each other, do their homework, and don't invoke politics." She has also been active with the Sausalito Woman's Club and the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce.

Reflecting on her years in Sausalito, she says, "There are people in this town who remember Sausalito as it never was, and they really want to keep it that way."

Ann's current project is as "the cookie lady." She makes four kinds of cookies: ginger snap, peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip. Ann maintains a cookie jar at the Bay Model. She also brings cookies to local police officers and firefighters.

This is another installment in a regular series of articles about long-time Sausalito residents who have made an impact on our city. The articles are written by John Oppenheimer, in collaboration with Age Friendly Sausalito, a task force of the Sausalito City Council. Age Friendly Sausalito is dedicated to advancing Sausalito as an age-friendly city, so that its residents can actively age in place. Links to previous articles from the series may be found on the Age Friendly Sausalito website.

Recap of March 13 City Council Meeting

A regular meeting of the Sausalito City Council was held on Tuesday, March 13. The following, in red italics, is a brief summary of actions taken at the meeting (for a full report, watch the recording from the meeting).

Approved Expenditure of Funds to Purchase a new Parking Enforcement Vehicle.

4B. Waive Further Reading, Read by Title Only and Adopt Ordinance No. 1254, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 16.04 of the Sausalito Municipal Code to Add Regulations for the Use of the Turney Street Boat Ramp and Dock (Read the Staff Report, Attachment 1- Ordinance No. 1254)

Waived Further Reading, Read by Title Only and Adopt Ordinance No. 1254, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Chapter 16.04 of the Sausalito Municipal Code to Add Regulations for the Use of the Turney Street Boat Ramp and Dock.

The Council Waived First Reading, and Read by Title Only and Introduced an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Sausalito Amending Section 12.16.140.A of the Sausalito Municipal Code to Correct a Typographical Error in Drafting of Ordinance No. 1199 by Prohibiting Work by Non-Homeowners on Holidays Officially Recognized by the City . Watch the recording from this portion of the meeting

Updates from Boards and Commissions

Each week, on a rotating schedule, this section will provide highlights of the recent activities of one or more of the boards, commissions, and special committees representing the City of Sausalito. More information about City of Sausalito boards and commissions and City Council special committees may be found on the City of Sausalito website.

Planning Commission. The following actions were taken at the Planning Commission meeting on March 7, 2018:

Rescinded an Administrative Citation pertaining to a tree alteration on private property located at 111 Prospect Avenue. It was determined that the trimming of the tree was pruning and not a significant alteration that would have required a tree alteration permit.

Approved a Design Review Permit to allow a second story addition to an existing one story commercial building and a Tree Removal Permit to remove two protected trees located at 813-817 Bridgeway (Fish and Chips).

Continued an Appeal of an administrative decision approving a Zoning Permit to allow for the expansion of a second floor deck on the structure's east elevation for the property at 27 Central Avenue. The appeal hearing is continued to the April 11, 2018, meeting.

The next meeting is a joint meeting of the Planning Commission and Historic Landmarks Board to be held on Wednesday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The following items are scheduled:

A proposed amendment of the Sausalito Municipal Code to update the regulations for historic buildings and properties with the goal of making the basic requirements and processes easier to understand, create certainty, and provide clarity to the process for applicants, City staff, decision-makers, and other interested individuals.

A request for a Nonconformity Permit to allow shifting nonconforming building floor area, building coverage, and impervious surface area for the remodel of an existing residence and accessory structure at 5 Reade Lane.

A request for a Tree Removal Permit to remove five protected trees located at 21 Sunshine Avenue.

A request for a Design Review Permit to demolish an existing garage and construct an attached two-car garage structure and building addition to the existing two-unit residence, a Tree Removal Permit for the removal of two trees, and an Encroachment Agreement for stairs, deck, driveway, utility meters, and walled landscaping improvements in the public right-of-way for the property at 200 Sausalito Boulevard.

All Planning Commission meetings are live streamed and video recorded. If you have any questions about the Planning Commission or an item under consideration, please contact the Community Development Department (CDD) at (415) 289-4128. The CDD public counter in City Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

General Plan Advisory Committee. The next meeting of the General Plan Advisory Committee will be held on Tuesday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. At the meeting, the committee will review the Comprehensive Existing Conditions Report, which is a compilation of the individual reports that have been provided to the committee over the last several months on a wide variety of topics, including economics, land use, transportation/circulation, design, historic preservation, and environmental conditions. The report includes revisions based on community feedback gathered from the outreach and workshop meetings conducted over the past several months.

The General Plan Update currently underway in Sausalito is a community-wide planning effort. The update involves a review of existing conditions, the development of a refined vision for the City, and the establishment of goals and guiding principles towards reaching this vision for Sausalito. Community involvement is essential throughout the process. All GPAC meetings are public meetings, and community attendance and participation is encouraged.

Sustainability Commission. The Sustainability Commission met for its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, March 8. The meeting focused on the latest challenges related to Zero Waste efforts. Sausalito resident Robert Haley joined the meeting. Robert is the Zero Waste Program Manager for the City of San Francisco. Robert was invited to discuss how the global market is pushing back on recycling exports from the United States. Although we are in the midst of a global repositioning in terms of which nations will accept recycling waste from the United States, Robert assured the commission that Sausalitans should not change their habits, and that recycling products are still in demand. The next meeting of the Sausalito Sustainability Commission will be held on Thursday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room.

News from City Departments

Administration. The City of Sausalito has drafted Public Engagement Guidelines to assist City staff in soliciting input from the community on issues that affect Sausalito residents. The draft guidelines were reviewed by the City Council at its meeting on March 13. A final version will go before the Council on Tuesday, March 27. Any feedback on the draft guidelines may be directed to Communications Director and City Librarian Abbot Chambers at achambers@sausalito.gov.

Community Development. To help Sausalito residents age 60 or older make their home a safer place, the City's Community Development Department has teamed up with Age Friendly Sausalito to create the Age Friendly Home Adaptation Grant Program. This new program offers reduced-fee or no-cost building permits for home modifications like entry ramps and handrails. Without the grant program, the building permit fee for a new entry ramp could be as high as $350. Younger adults with a disability are also eligible for the program.

A full list of modifications eligible for a reduced-fee or no-cost building permit is available from the Community Development Department counter in City Hall. To participate in the program, a Sausalito homeowner or renter (with landlord approval) fills out an application form that is available online or from the Community Development Department counter. The form requires proof of age or standard proof of disability to determine eligibility. Any questions about the Age Friendly Home Adaptation Grant Program may be directed to Permit Technician McKenna Ramiro at (415) 289-4128.

Parks and Recreation. The Parks and Recreation Department has received the first shipment of Dorothy Gibson's new book, Sausalito's Parks, Plazas, Playgrounds and Benches. Many of you know Dorothy from her previous book, Exploring Sausalito's Paths and Walkways. Her new book chronicles the history of Sausalito's public spaces, from the Miwoks to present day. Books can be purchased for $20 at the Parks and Recreation Department window on the lower level of City Hall. All proceeds will be used to refurbish and maintain our beautiful Sausalito parks.

Things Happening in Our Community

Sausalito Goes to the Movies. Film critic and Sausalito resident Jan Wahl will be at the Sausalito Library on Friday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. to share stories about the many films shot in Sausalito over the years. Jan's talk will be punctuated by memorable clips from great and not-so-great films such as The Lady from Shanghai, Petulia, Superdad, The Killer Elite, Serial, Mother,and Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. This program kicks off a series of Friday evening screenings of movies with scenes shot in Sausalito. The series will continue through April 6.

Sausalito Writers' Circle. Looking for a supportive group to share your writing with? Ready to tackle that story, novel, or poem? Interested in providing feedback to others? Whether you're an aspiring writer, a seasoned veteran, or somewhere in between, come join us on Saturday, March 17 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. Your host at this Sausalito Library program is Sausalito resident, published author, and experienced workshop facilitator, Cindy Knoebel. If interested in attending, please join our Meetup group and RSVP. The Writers' Circle typically meets twice per month.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner. The Star of the Sea Church Men's Club is hosting a St. Patrick's Day Dinner for the Sausalito community at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 17. Dinner will be a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, accompanied by music, a silent auction, and a raffle. There will also be a no host bar with wine and Irish coffee. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door: $20 for adults, $5 for children. Reservations may be placed by sending email to staroftheseamensclub@gmail.com. The Star of the Sea Church is located at 180 Harrison Street in Sausalito.

Coloring & Doodling Party for Adults. Come relax and join the coloring party on Tuesday, March 20 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Edgewater Room of City Hall. We provide a stress-free atmosphere, soothing music, and delicious refreshments so you can unleash your imagination. The Sausalito Library provides all coloring supplies and bookmarks and buttons made from your artwork. Seating is limited for this free program. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Rebecca at rburgan@sausalito.gov or (415) 289-4100 x502. The Library also offers a variety of coloring books for adults to take home, color, and return. Leave your artwork in the book for others to see! Need coloring implements? Boxes of colored pencils are now available for in-Library use.

Growing Strawberries and Blueberries. Are you interested in growing strawberries and/or blueberries, or have you tried to do so unsuccessfully in the past? Join us in the City Hall Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 to learn which varieties of blueberries and strawberries are recommended, how to plant and care for them, and what to do about diseases and pests. Presenter Judy Orsini is a member of the Edibles and Plant Identification Guilds of the UC Marin Master Gardener organization. This program is part of a series of talks by Master Gardeners presented by the Library and Sausalito Beautiful, in conjunction with the University of California Cooperative Extension Marin Master Gardeners.

The Lady from Shanghai (1947, 87 Minutes). The Sausalito Library's "Sausalito Goes to the Movies" series continues at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23 with a screening of the 1947 noir classic, The Lady from Shanghai. The film stars Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth and features two famous scenes shot on Sausalito's Old Town waterfront. Keep an eye out for the Walhalla and Nunes Brothers Boat Works.

Totally '80s Dance Party. This year's Willow Creek Academy Annual Fundraiser is bringing back the '80s. Come join the fun on Saturday, March 24 at IDESST Hall, 511 Caledonia Street. Get ready to dance and laugh with friends and neighbors, while supporting your community. Tickets are $100 for the Burger and Bourbon dinner with spirits tasting from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and $35 for the Totally '80s Dance Party from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Great deals will be available at the silent auction. All proceeds from the event will support Willow Creek Academy's S.M.A.R.T. program. Tickets are limited.

Met Opera Preview: Così Fan Tutte by Mozart. The Sausalito Library's Met Opera Preview series for 2017-18 continues on Tuesday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Edgewater Room of City Hall with a preview of the upcoming Metropolitan Opera performance of Così Fan Tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Host Tom Wilhite will present background information about the composer and opera and a selection of audio and video clips from past performances. Tom's preview takes place on the Tuesday before the Saturday morning Live in HD simulcast from the Met.

Our Water, What's the Story? Join us at the Sausalito Woman's Club at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 for a special program co-sponsored by the Sausalito Library. Speaker Armando Quintero is the 2018 President of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors. He is also the Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at UC Merced and the Chair of the California Water Commission, to which he was appointed by Governor Brown in 2014. In his talk, Armando will discuss the water world of Marin and California and how we are preparing for an uncertain future. Refreshments will be available when the doors open at 7:00 p.m. Carpooling is recommended, as parking is limited on Central Avenue. Attendance is free, but please help gauge attendance by sending an RSVP to Julie Carlson at carlson.juli@gmail.com.

Free AED Training. The Sausalito Woman's Club will offer an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Training at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 29. Long-time Bay Model Visitor Center Park Manager Chris Gallagher will conduct the training. The event is free of charge. Please bring your own lunch for this "brown bag" program. There is limited street parking at the Sausalito Woman's Club, which is located at 120 Central Avenue. RSVP to dfordscriba@gmail.com.

We'll Always Have Paris. KALW film critic Peter Robinson invites you to a "Parisian soirée" at the City Hall Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 29. We'll explore the culture and history of Paris from La Belle Epoque to the present, listen to famous songs, and watch clips of some of the great movies set in Paris. This will be Peter's eighth Sausalito Library program. Past programs include "A Noel Coward Soirée," "David Lean Revisited," and "Sex Upstairs & Downstairs in Downton Abbey." All are welcome, no RSVP necessary.

Impact (1949, 111 minutes). The third program in the Sausalito Library's "Sausalito Goes to the Movies" series is a screening of Impact, an excellent but little-known film noir starring Brian Donlevy and Ella Raines. The film features an extended shot of downtown Sausalito as it looked in the late 1940s. The screening will take place inside the Library on Friday, March 30 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

38th Annual Spring Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny will be hopping into Sausalito on Saturday, March 31. This year's parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the corner of Johnson and Caledonia streets. We will then march to Dunphy Park for an Easter egg hunt, followed by live music from Tim Cain. At 11:00 a.m., there will be an Easter bonnet contest judged by members of the Sausalito Woman's Club. The 38th Annual Easter Parade and Egg Hunt is presented by the Sausalito Parks and Recreation Department. Easter festivities will take place rain or shine.

Get Ready Marin. A free Get Ready class will be given at the Tamalpais Community Center on Saturday, March 31 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordinator Maggie Lang will show how to prepare for hazards we may experience in Marin, including best practices for evacuation in case of fire. The class will take less than two hours and is open to all. Please join us, even if you can't stay for the entire event. The Tamalpais Community Center is located at 203 Marin Avenue in Mill Valley.

Rodent Prevention and Control Workshop. Got rats or other rodent problems? The Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District wants to help! Join us on Thursday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers to learn how to recognize rodent activity, ways to reduce attractants and harborage on your property, the best non-toxic methods for rodent control, and how to rodent-proof your home. Presenter Nick Picinich is the Rodent Control Specialist for the Vector Control District. Nick is certified by the California Department of Public Health as a vector control technician and has twelve years of experience working for the district. This program is presented by the Sausalito Library.

Dear Brigitte(1965, 100 Minutes). The final program in the Sausalito Library's "Sausalito Goes to the Movies" series is a screening of Dear Brigitte. The film features Jimmy Stewart as absent-minded professor and poet Robert Leaf, whose math-genius son has a crush on Brigitte Bardot. Professor Leaf and his family live on a houseboat at Gate 6 Road. The screening will take place inside the Library on Friday, April 6 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

MLK Park Meeting. On Monday, April 9 at 6:00 p.m. there will be a meeting at the MLK gym at 610 Coloma Street in Sausalito to discuss the proposed outdoor exercise equipment and pickle ball courts for the MLK Park renovation. More information will be available soon.

Met Opera Preview: Luisa Miller by Verdi. The Sausalito Library's Met Opera Preview series for 2017-18 continues on Tuesday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the Edgewater Room of City Hall with a preview of the upcoming Metropolitan Opera performance of Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi. Host Tom Wilhite will present background information about the composer and opera and a selection of audio and video clips from past performances. Tom's preview takes place on the Tuesday before the Saturday morning Live in HD simulcast from the Met.

Cult of the Machine. Join Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco docent Julia Geist at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 12 as she explores the de Young Museum special exhibit (running from March 24 to August 12, 2018) that features more than a hundred masterworks of American Precisionism by such modernists as Charles Sheeler, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Charles Demuth. This program is presented by the Sausalito Library and sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Caregiver Support Group. Are you or someone you know caring for a loved one who is suffering from some form of cognitive impairment? Consider joining the Sausalito-based Caregiver Support Group, which is led by facilitators affiliated with The Alzheimer's Association of Northern California. The next monthly meeting will be held on Saturday, April 14 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Rotary Village Community Room at 701 Olima Street in Sausalito. The group offers caregivers the ability to exchange information, talk through challenges and ways of coping, and share feelings and frustrations. Participants and their situations are assured complete confidentiality. For additional information, please send email to caregivermarin@gmail.com.